UMASSTAMHERST  4i> 


31EDt3b014'^a02'^2 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

COLLEGE 


SOURCE 


""  M6 


ce 


This  book  may  be  kept  out 

TWO  WEEKS 

only,   and   is   subject   to   a   fine    of    TWO 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.     It  will  be  due  on 

the  day  indicated  below. 


MA?' 


..    iC'^'i* 


^ir^H' 


V3 


CARD 


AE  EXPERIii/IENT 
IN 

RURAL   COmnnilTy  PLAimilTG 


E .L.  Morgan 
Extension  Service 
Massachusetts  Agricultural  College 


1915 


^30.  '505 


The  term  "Rural  Community  Planning" 
as  it  is  used  among  our  Agricultural 
Colleges  refers  to  a  praotioal,  compre- 
hensire,  scientific  planning  for  the 
future  by  the  community,  along  those  funda- 
mental lines  which  represent  its  gener- 
al interest,  usually  embracing  agri- 
culturei  education!  sanitation,  recrea- 
tion, civic  affairs,  and  transj)ortation. 

Where  such  community  planning  has 
been  applied,  it  has  resulted  in  the 
working  out  of  a  long  term  program 
ma^le  up  of  projects  some  of  which  may 
be  carried  out  at  once,  while  others 
may  ra^iuire  years  to  achieve* 

This,  then,  is  a  statement  of  the 
manner  in  which  this  work  is  being  done, 
among  the  towns  and  rural  communities 
of  Massachusetts  as  a  part  of  the  work 
of  the  Extension  Service  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Agricultural  College*  We 


?/ish  to  present  this  statement  along 
the  following  general  lines: 

1 •  A  community  aohieTement. 

S.  Some  principles  inTolTed. 

3»  Some  results  and  plans  for  the 
future* 

4»  A  hroad  application  of  this 
work  on  county  and  state  "bases* 

The  Achievement. 

Early  in  the  fall  of  191.8  a  call 
came  to  our  Kxtension  Service  from  a 
typical  ^ew  England  community  of  some 
two  hundred  homes,  situated  some  two 
and  a  half  miles  from  a  railway  station 
This  call  was  not  for  a  lecture  on 
dairying  or  pomology,  but  it  waa  for 
assistance  along  the  line  of  community 
planning.   They  said  they  had  little 
community  spirit,  that  they  were  not 
pulling  together,  that  there  was  the 
misunderstanding,  cross-purpose  and 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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prejudice  among  their  organizations 
eo  often  found  among  unorganized  rural 
conmiunities,   and  that  agriculture  as 
their  industry  was  declining.  Prior 
to  this  time  there  had  heen  enormous 
fugitive  force  of  this  nature  "but  there 
had  been  no  adeq.uate  means  of  directing 
it. 

For  the  first  meeting-  in  this  con- 
nection 3  they  got  together  those  few 
who  represented  the  leadership  of  the 
community  and  went  over  very  thoroughly 
the  possibilities  of  the  community  get- 
ting together  and  working  out  a  long  term 
program.   It  was  finally  decided  to  call 
a  m.a6s  meeting  to  consider  the  whole  mat- 
ter*  This  m^ass  meeting  was  attended  "by 
about  80  per  cent  of  the  adult  population 
of  the  community*  A  number  of  people 
voiced  their  opinion  of  the  existing 
untoward  condition  of  affairs  and  reme- 
dies were  suggested «   All  saw  that 


-4- 
nothing  substantial  oould  be  achieved 
until  a  definite  knowledge  of  exact  con- 
ditiona  was  obtained*   To  accomplish 
this,  six  comiaissions  were  appointed 
as  follows:  Agriculture,  Education, 
Sanitation,  Recreation,  Civic  Affairs, 
and  Transportation* 

The  commissions  were  asked  to  do 
two  things: 

1  .  Make  a  careful  stud^/  of  the  com- 
munity, calling  in  from  the  outside 
such  assistance  as  they  could  command* 

2.  Formulate  a  few  recommendations 
in  the  form  of  projects  which  they 
might  submit  to  a  second  mass  meeting 
to  be  held  two  months  after  the  first. 

These  commissions  had  scarcely 
begun  their  wori^  when  they  came  to  ap- 
preciate that  actual  facts  were  needed 
as  a  basis  for  the  formation  of  con- 
structive projects*   In  a  thorough  sur- 


-5- 
yey  taken  of  the  oommunity,  the  i'arm 
Management  Beotion  of  our  Extension 
Seryice  secured  information  along  farm 
management  lines,  taking  records  on 
a  large  number  of  farms  and  making  cer- 
tain recommendations  relating  to  the 
agricultural  situation  in  general.   The 
facts  along  social j  educational,  sani- 
tary, transportation,  and  recreational. 
lines  were  secured  by  a  man  employed 
by  the  community* 

The  Tarious  commissions  called 
upon  a  number  of  state  organizations, 
boards  and  institutions  which  gave  ad- 
vice along  their  particular  lines* 
Some  of  these  were:  State  Boards  of 
Health,  six  departments  of  the  Agri- 
cultural College,  State  Highway  Com- 
mission, Massachusetts  Girio  League, 
State  Library  Commission,  State  Board 
of  Agriculture.   After  two  months  of 


pairistaking  work,  these  corrnniesions 
reported  to  the  seeond  mase  meeting 
such  projects  ae  they  had  been  able 
to  work  out* 

ThiB  was  Indeed  a  v  ery  interest- 
ing meeting.   The  community  had  coupled 
the  long  term  planning  idea  with  a  de  -» 
sire  for  efficiency.   The  keenest  in- 
terest was  manifested  as  each  project 
wag  taken  up^  discussed,  and  either 
adopted  or  rejected.   Such  as  were  ac- 
cepted became  the  comir.unity  long  term 
program*   Some  of  the  projects  adopted 
were: 

In  Agriculture  - 

1 .   Making  the  raising  of  pure 
bred  cattle   the   industry  and  the  pro- 
duction  of  milk   the  by-product. 

E.    Cooperation    in   care  of  orchards 
and  sale   of  the  product. 

3«   General   cooijeration   in   both 


buying  and  Celling, 
In  Education  - 

1 .  Agricultural  education  through 
extension  schools,  lectures,  institutes, 
demonetrations,  and  correspondence 
courses • 

8.  The  extension  of  the  library 
service  and  purchase  of  books  on  agri- 
culture and  country  life* 

3.  further  consolidation  of 
rural  schools* 

4.  Introduction  of  the  teaching 
of  agriculture  and  home  economics  into 
the  schools* 

5.  Introduction  of  Boys'  and  Girls' 
home  and  school  garden  woric  into  the 
schccls* 

In  Transportation  - 

1 .  To  ask  the  State  Highway 
Commission  to  furnish,  a  road  engineer 
to  outline  a  plan  for  the  construction 


-6- 
and  mairtenanee  of  roads. 

E«  The  appropriation  of  $6000 
to  build  permanent  roads. 

3.  The  purchase  of  a  steam  roller 
to  uee  in  road  construction  and  main- 
tenance. 

4.  The  introduction  of  the  split 
log  drag  in  road  maintenance. 

5.  The  careful  investigation  of 
telephone  and  railway  service  and  rates. 

Without  mentioning  the  other  com- 
misgions^  I  am  sure  you  are  able  to  see 
from  the  foregoing  the  nature  of  the 
projects  submitted*  They  did  not  rep- 
resent the  ideal  from  any  one  person's 
viewpoint,  but  they  did  represent  what 
the  people  of  that  comjiiunity  believed 
wae  for  their  best  good^  and  what  they 
themselx^ee  would  be  able  to  apply ?  for 
after  all  no  community  will  move  any 
faster  nor  any  farther  than  the  majority 


-9- 
of  the  soiidj    sound- thinking  people 
iDOth   see   and  helieve,    and  their  own   looal 
leadership   takes  them. 

The   application   of  this  program 
was  at  onoe  seen   to  "be  a  greater   task 
than   that   of  formulating  it.      It  was 
evident   that   the  ooirjnunity  had  organiza- 
tions enough   and  to  spare,   but  there 
was  the  usual   amount   in   inertia^    erosE- 
purpose   and  jealousy,     that  militated 
against  efficiency •      To   overcome  some 
these  petty  "bickerings  and  still   get  the 
work  done ,   one  representative  was  ap- 
pointed from  eacb   organization  who, 
together  with   the   chairman   of  the    various 
commissions 9   "became   a  Comjnunity  Council 
or   federation,   v/hot^e  function  was  not 
to  do   the  work  "but  to    "be  the   custodian 
of  tie  projects  adopted  and  act  as  a 
clearing-house  for  the   organizations 
of   the  comjiiunity. 


-10- 
Some  of  the  actual  achievements 
under  thiB  plan  during  the  past  two 
years  are  as  follows: 
In  Agriculture  - 

1  *  Cooperation  in  the  pruning 
and  spraying  of  thirteen  orchards » 

£*  Cooperation  in  the  purchase  of 
spray  materials,  fertilizers,  and  packing 
accessories* 

3.  The  adoption  of  an  apple  brand, 
packing  the  entire  crop  hy  an  expert 
packer,  and  ©elling  through  a  committee 
of  the  group* 

4»  The  purchase  of  a  few  pure 
hreds  for  the  herds,  looking  forward  to 
the  time  when  the  community  may  be 
known  as  a  pure  bred  stock  section « 

5.  The  re-organization  of  the  local 
demonstration  farm* 

In  Cooperation  - 

1  *  The  organization  of  a  Parm.er's 


-11- 

Exchange ,    incorporated  tinder  the   laws 
of  the  Go irmion wealth*     During  the  past 
two  years   it  has  transacted  a  very  large 
voltixne   of  husinees   in  both  buying   and 
selling •      I   cannot  emphasize   this  phase 
too   strongly.     We  have  a  numher  in   the 
state.      Their  organization   is  sjn^le, 
they  fill  the   absolute  needs  of  the 
people  and  are  doing  good  work. 
In  Civic  Affairs  - 

1  .   The  removal   of  an  unsightly 
blacksmith   shop  to   a  point  cut   of  general 
view. 

E.    The  erection   of  hor^e   sheds 
at   a  cost  of  $1800. 

3.  The  erection    of  guide  boards. 

4.  The  working  out   of  a  plan  for 
the   inrprovement  of  the  common. 

5.  The   introduction  of  an  efficient 
system  in   the  keeping  of  town   accounts. 

6.  Negotiations  for   a  community 


-1^ 


<C' 


reoreatiori  field. 

In  Transportation  - 

1  .  The  expenditure  of  $8000  in 
the  huilding  of  permanent  roads. 

2.  The  securing  of  better  rail- 
way service  and  the  improvement  of  con- 
ditions about  the  railway  station. 

3.  An  abatement  of  some  of  the 
telephone  rate  nuisance  and  the  secur- 
ing of  better  service. 

In  Education  - 

1 .  The  placing  of  a  sub-library 
in  each  school  of  the  township. 

8.  The  holding  of  wci   Agricultural 
5!xtension  School • 

3.  The  inauguration  of  the  boys* 
and  girls'  club  work  in  the  schools. 

4.  The  further  consolidation  of 
rural  schools. 

5.  An  institute  and  numerous 
other  lectures  all  a  part  of  a  definite 


-13- 
plan    and  not   bap-hazard • 

In   Social  Affairs  - 

1 .   The   adoption   of  an-all- 
year-round  recreational  plan,   picnics, 
lyceuim,    celebrations,    and  other  events* 

One   of  the  most   significant  achieve- 
ments has  been   the  federation   of  two 
churches  which  came  about   as  a  by-product 
of   the  whole    community   movement*      It  was 
not  urged  by  anyone  ^   but  came  naturally 
as  a  part  of   their  efficiency  apprecia- 
tion * 

As  a  result   of  these  two  years   of 
work,    the  people   of  this  community  have 
a  plan   that   is  working.,    they  believe   in 
agriculture   as  an   industry  as   it  was   im- 
possible to   do   before.      They    also   believe 
their  cominunity  is   the  best  place   in 
Massachusetts   in  which    to   live,    they 
have   the  community   spirit,    a  community 
plan,    end  are   achieving  things,     For  this 


-14- 
statement,  any  one  of  a  number  of  other 
communities  might  have  "been  used  as  well. 
Some  PrirQiplee  Involved • 

The  achievements  of  this  community 
are  tj^-pical  of  a  num^ber  of  others  in 
Maeeachusetts  where  this  general  plan 
is  in  various  stages  of  development  • 
In  each  case  a  few  principles  which 
stand  as  guiding  stars  in  rural  progress 
have  been  kept  clearly  in  mind.  They 
may  be  stated  as  follows: 

1 .  We  have  only  one  country  life 
problem*   It  has  a  number  of  phases 
but  is  all  one  problem^,  and  must  be  dealt 
with  as  such  whether  the  work  is  being 
done  on  a  community,  county,  state,  or 
national  basis • 

In  the  ease  referred  to,  the  communi- 
ty saw  this  clearly.   The  whole  probleJn 
was  takerj  up  as  a  unit;  its  various 
phases  interesting  various  groups  which 


-15- 
dealt  with  each  as  a  part  of  the  whole. 
Most  communities  are  doing  good  things 
along  one  or  two  lines,  "but  oome  far 
short  of  presenting  a  solid  front  in 
their  approach  to  this  matter •  In 
Massachusetts  I  we  believe  that  the 
strengthening  of  agriculture  as  the  rural 
industrv  in  "both  its  farm  management 
and  its  marketing  and  exchange  phases  . 
is  of  maximum  importance  in  this  ruri,l 
progress  campaign*  Little  can  he  achieved 
along  any  line  unless  the  industry  is  a 
profitable  one»   It  does  not  follow, 
however,  that  better  farming  and  better 
business  will  in  and  of  themselves  bring 
about  better  living.   There  are  many  sec- 
tions of  the  middle  western  and  north 
Atlantic  states  where  farring  is  being 
very  successfully  carried  on  and  where 
the  average  farmer  is  well-to-do,  but 
where  there  is  as  marked  rural  decay  as 


-16- 
is  to  "be  found  in  the  hill  sections 
of  either  Ilew  England  or  of  the  South, 
where  agriculture  needs  very  serious 
attention.   In  Massachusetts,  great 
care  ie  being  taken  to  secure  an  a^l- 
round  coin32iunity  progress  for  ?/e  believe 
that  sort  alone  will  be  permanent* 

II,   Substantial  and  permanent 
rural  progress  can  come  only  where  country 
life  is  adeQ.uately  organized.   This 
refers  to  - 

A,  A  working  federation  of  all 

» 

organizations  in  the  field*  working  out 
a  differentiation  of  task,  that  there 
may  be  a  maximum  of  individual  effi- 
ciency and  a  minimum  of  overlapping,  as 
well  ae  overlooking*   This  form  of  get- 
together  is  especially  needed  just  now 
along  state  and  national  lines. 

B»  The  bringing  about  of  such  new 
organisations  as  may  be  necessary  to  do 


-17- 

any  work  that  cannot  "be   done  by  an  organ- 
ization  already  in   existence •      This  will 
need  to  come   to  pass  very  generally  when 
the  community    or  the   county  approaches 
such  questions  as   marketing  and  exchange 
or  the   agricultural   adviser  work. 

In  the  conmiunity  inentioned,    this 
involved  a  practical  working  federation  of 
all   local   organizations  and  coirunitteesj 
comprising  seme   thirteen   in  all.      This 
was  called  the  Community  Council  and 
was  merely  an   overhead  organization. 
It  was   soon  evident  that  none   of    these 
organizations   could  foster   agricultural 
cooperation  which  the  community  had  de- 
cided  to   take  up*      To  do   this  work, 
an    incorporated  Cooperative  Association 
wae   organized* 

Thus   organized,    the   forces  for  prog- 
ress "became  a  unit*     Ixpert  assistance 
concerning  education,    transportation,    or 


-18- 
pulDlic  health  aa  well  aa    o^ny   phaee 
of  agriculture  does  not  come  to  the  com- 
Riunity  in  a  haphazard  nanner  as  the  de- 
sire of  a  specially  interested  few,  hut 
oouBS  to  the  community  as  a  whole j 
knov/ing  that  his  coming  is  a  part  of  a 
definite  plan  hearing  directly  upon  im- 
mediate possihilitias.   Give  this  sort 
of  eomjnunity  planning  to  75  per  cent  of 
the  communities  of  any  state  and  it  will 
double  the  efficiency  of  agricultural 
extension  work  within  the  state* 

III*   Any  form  of  rural  intprove- 
ment,  whether  it  addresses  itself  to 
♦'hetter  farmings  better  business ^  or 
better  living"  must  be  rural  in  its 
nature*   It  must  be  a  product  of  a  rural 
environment •  Methods  in  education, 
public  health,  recreation,  and  so  forth, 
which  are  eminently  successful  under 
urban  conditions  fail  relatively  when 


-19- 
applied  to  a  rural  comiriunity.  Agricul- 
ture represents  not  only  a  distinct  in- 
dustry, but  also  a  distinct  and  peculiar 
system  of  living  none  of  which  can  he 
measured  hy  urban  standards  or  ideals • 
To  be  permanent,  any  such  improvement 
must  give  large  place  to  the  development 
of  the  community  idea,  the  neighbor- 
hood unit,  to  the  fact  that  the  coinmunity 
as  a  machine  is  one  piece  of  mechanism  ^ 
and  can  be  run  without  much  of  the  cus- 
tomary rattle  and  bang^  but  that  to  do 
thiB  there  rrxiet   be  a  real  living  dom- 
inant community  spirit • 
Some  Hesults  and  Flans  for  the  Future » 
The  results  to  the  communities  in 
which  this  work  has  been  done  have  been 
trem.endous.  They  have  been  definite, 
positive  J  and  practical •  Starting  small 
it  has  spread  to  a  dozen  others,  and  some 
are  on  the  way.   There  have  also  been 


-so- 
other and  more  general  results  which 
have  been  large  faetors  in  the  formula- 
tion of  what  has  "become  the  Massachuaette 
Plans  for  Rural  Progress? 

One  of  these  ha^  "been  the  practi- 
cability of  the  principle  of  the  federa- 
tion of  local  forces  for  definite  results* 
Fhenever  this  has  eome  to  pass,  the  organ- 
izations comprising  the  federation  have 
not  only  found  ne?/  tasks  to  do  but  have 
found  that  in  such  union  there  was  tremen- 
dous strength •   The  futility  of  the  im- 
provem^ent  association  idea,  the  farmers' 
club,  or  the  social  center  idea  in  actual- 
ly doing  the  work  is  painfully  apparent. 
It  is  our  plan  to  pursue  this  work  only 
as  fast  as  actual  calls  come  fromx  inter- 
ested communities. 

Another  result  has  been  the  dem.on- 
stration  of  the  value  of  long-term  plan- 
ning in  all  phases  of  rural  lifej  in- 


-SI- 


volving  as  it  does  the  careful  working- 
out  of  practical  projects.   There  are 
ir  MasBachusetts  some  eighteen  state  and 
sectional  organizations^  hoards  and  In- 
stitutions cooperating  in  this  work  and 
froK  which  a  coiruuunity  may  receive 
definite  advice  along  their  special 
line  of  work*   The  successful  use  of  this 
planning  principle  has  led  to  its  appli- 
cation on  hoth  county  and  state  lines i  as 
will  he  mentioned  a  little  later* 

The  imperative  need   of  some  ade- 
quate system  of  leadership  training  h^s 
been  apparent  as  this  work  has  progressed. 
There  is  some^/here  to  be  seen  a  lack  of  fit- 
ness to  lead  on  the  part  of  those  upon 
whose  shoulders  the  community  places 
leadership  responsibilities*  We  be- 
lieve it  is  the  function  of  a  College 
of  Agriculture  to  aesumie  direction  of 
the  training  of  the  rural  leadership 
in  a  state*   Aside  from  the  regular  work 


O  '^  ». 


at  the  College  where   there   are  a  number 
of   coureee  directed  particularly  along 
this   line,    the  following   are   aniorg   the 
special    leadership  training  functions 
carried  on  by  the  Extension   Service • 

1  •   Local   conferences   on   cornrfiunity 
planning!    at  which   time   the  general 
principles  of  comiironity  progress  are 
set   forth   in   the   light   of   the   apparent 
need  of  the   comiuunity   in   which  the   con- 
ference  is   being  held. 

2.  The   school  for  Tree  Fardens,    held 
at   the  Agricultural   College,    which  is 
rendering   these  very   important   town 
officers  decidedly  more   efficient. 

3.  Extension    Bchocls   in   Gcminunity 
Planning •      These  are  four  day   schools, 
similar   in    organization   to   the  Extension 
School  in   Agriculture  but  dealing  only 
with   the   organization   phases  of  agri- 
culture  and  community    life*      Tne   follow- 
ing courses   are  offered  --  Public 


-co- 


Health,  F^rm  Management,  Town  Administra- 
tion, Civic  Improvement,  Community  Recrea- 
tion, Home-Making,  The  Comir.unity  Pro- 
gram, EducaticKj  and  Agricultural  Coop- 
eration*  Each  course  deals  especially 
with  methods  of  organizing  and  pursuing 
the  particular  lines, 

4.  The  Summer  School  for  Rural  Social 
Service,  held  at  the  College,  at  which 
time  two  weeks ^  eourees  especially  for 
ministers,  teachers  and  community  leaders 
are  offer ed« 

5.  The  summer  Conference  on  Com.- 
munity  Planning,  also  held  at  the  Col- 
lege, is  a  four  day  conference  partici- 
pated in  by  a  number  of  state  boards  and 
orgaTiizations,  This  has  come  to  be  a 
tremendous  force  for  rural  progress 
throughout  all  Hew  England, 

6.  County  Corferences  on  Community 
Planning,  which  bring  together  the  leaders 


-E4« 
of   a  county   to  plan  for  the   larger 
county  developments. 

The  future   of   our  work  muet   see 
the  functions  Just  mentioned  intensi- 
fied in   order  that  these   actually 
doing  the  work  within   the  communities 
may  he  the   most  efficient  possihle* 
Special   School  for  tax  assessors^ 
tax  eoilectorsi    ro^d   supervisors^    and 
officers  of  cooperative   societies   ^^re 
planned  for   the   iamiediate  future  • 
^me__P,QS8ihilitie8  of  this  Work  alon^ 
County  and  State  Linegj. 

In   most   ^Sections   of  the  country    , 
the  functions   ascribed  to  the  county 
aa   a  political  unit  render   it  of 
very  great   importance   as   a  factor   in 
rural  progress.      Things   are  done  hy 
counties*      Tnere  can  be  created  a 
county  spirit  I    a  county  pride,    and 
a  county  plan  * 

Owing  to    the  fact  that   there   are 


-£5- 
a  number  of  phases  of  the  rural  proh- 
lem  which  can  best  be  determined  along 
county  lines,  it  is  highly  important  that 
county  planning  receive  serious  atten- 
tion. The  County  Agent  represents 
a  beginning.  There  is  much  to  be  done 
along  the  lines  of  education,  rural 
government,  transportation,  and  so 
forth^  which  can  be  most  Buccesafully 
achieved  in  this  manner. 

The  county  is  the  natural  unit 
through  which  to  bring  about  further 
federation «   There  are  many  county  or- 
g%isationa  as  well  as  community  inter- 
eats  which  need  to  be  united  on  cer- 
tain broad  county  policies.  We  are 
calling  these  County  Conferences  on 
Rural  Progress.  As  an  approach  to  this 
in  Massachusetts,  the  County  Planning 
Conference  is  being  used  with  marked 
Success. 

Of  still  greater  importance  are 


-E6. 
those  larger  problerriB  which  have  to 
do  with  the  affairs  of  a  state  and 
which  can  he  solved  hy  states  only. 
Here  it  is  that  wa  see  a  great  need  for 
the  federation  of  forces*   The  lacic 
of  an  understanding  and  an  unwilling- 
ness to  work  together  on  the  pQ'rt  of 
many  state  aided  hoards  and  insti- 
tutions is  a  vital  matter  '^nd   should 
he  worked  out  hy  a  maars  of  differen- 
tiating the  tasks  of  each,  thus  avoid- 
ing overlapping  as  well  '^s   overlook'^' 
iiig   the  expenditure  of  state  funds. 
It  is  imperative  that  every  state  work 
out  a  definite  policy  in  the  devel- 
opment of  agriculture  and  country  life* 
This  should  he  prefaced  by  a  compre- 
hensive state  survey  of  agriculture 
and  community  life  conditions,  in  order 
that  such  a  policy  may  he  true  to  the 
actual  needs. 


-87- 

The  Massachusetts  "R'ederation   for 
Rural  Progress,    whioh   is  made  up   of 
some   twenty-five   state   orgariizations, 
boa^rds   and   institutions,    is   making 
rapid   strides  to?/ard  the  achievement 
of   this  end ^      Through   its  eommissions 
of  ?arm  Inrprovement,    Oommunity  Life^ 
and  Marketing  and  Exchange,    it   is 
promoting  a  definite  propaganda, 
results   of  which   are  iDeing  seen^ 

It  will  he   only   when   the  country 
life   of    a  state   is   thus   thoroughly 
organized  on  state ^    county  and  local 
bases   that  we  may  expect   results* 
There   is   need  that  we   appreciate   to 
the  full    the   task   that   lies  before 
us«      It   is  the  task   of  developing 
in   this  country  a  rural   civilization 
which   will  be   a  thing  complete   in   it- 
self,   affording   an    industry    and   a 
system  of   living  which   will  be  both 
profitable   and  pleasant,    such  as   we   do 


-£8- 
not  have  in  any  large  measure  today. 

There  are  vast  numbers  of  country 
life  fakirs  abroad  in  the  land  who 
are  proclaiming  that  "their  stunt  will 
turn  the  trick".   Sometimes  it  is  a 
social  center,  a  moving  picture  show, 
increased  agricultural  production j 
a  comir^unity  ingprovement  association, 
church  federation,  cooperation  in 
marketing  and  exchange,  a  farmers* 
club,  some  new  movement  in  rural 
education,  a  courity  agent,  or  anti- 
Beptic  farm  homes.   Each  promoter  unable 
to  understand  why  the  others  do  not 
forsake  their  hobbies  and  rally  to 
his  project,  which  after  all  he  con- 
tends is  the  only  real  solution  of 
the  q^uestion  . 

Such  a  rural  civilization  must 
include  most  of  the  elements  Just 
mentioned,  but  in  an  efficient,  har- 


-89- 
monious  iDalanee,   My  experience  of 
more  than  two  years  in  this  work  leads 
me  to  "believe  that  one  of  the  serious 
handicaps  to  rural  progress  is  the 
faot  that  not  enough  men  connected 
with  the  Agricultural  Oolleges,  Boards 
and  Departments  of  Agriculture,  either 
as  administrators^  teachers,  research 
or  extension  agents ^  are  making  an 
adequate  effort  to  see  this  rural 
q.uestion  in  its  entirety.   Don't  we 
too  often  "betray  a  modern  interpre- 
tation of  the  Puritan's  prayer  — 
"The  Lord  hless  me  and  my  job,  our 
hoard  of  trustees,  and  the  State 
and  Federal  treasury,  -  we  four  and 
no  more!" 

As  employed  officers,  the  chal- 
lenge comes  to  us  in  three-fold  form:  ■ 

1 .   That  we  come  to  see  our  country 
life  problem  aa  clearly  as  our  preju- 


-30- 
dioe  for  our  own  work  will  permit  us 
to  a^ie   it . 

E.  That  we  see  the  proper  relation 
between  our  work  and  the  prohlem  as  a 
whole,  -  that  is,  that  our  work  is 
not  the  solution,  hut  that  it  stands 
at  best  as  only  one  segment  of  the 
whole* 

3.  That  we  ^ee  with  charity  and  enthusi- 
asm the  relation  of  the  work  of  the 
other  man  to  our  work^  and  to  the  prob- 
lem as  a  whole « 

This,  then,  is  the  statement  of 
the  experiment  in  rural  oommunity 
planning,  the  eonsummation  of  whioh 
was  such  that  it  has  spread  to  some 
fifteen  other  towns,  to  counties, 
and  to  the  state.    In  starting  this 
work  we  ware  conscious  of  the  fact 
that  we  were  doing  pioneer  work  and 
that  there  was  the  full  possibility  of 


error*   We  planned  it  as  v/ell  as  we 
could*   The  results  have  heen  most 
gratifying  and  betray  elements  ofgreat 
value*   It  is  the  ultimate  application 
of  this  plan  as  a  whole  upon  com- 
munity ^  county  and  state  lines  which 
we  "believe  will  promote  substantial 
progress  in  agriculture  and  country 
life,  and  will  hasten  the  development 
of  our  new  rural  civilization* 


*  -  -  It  is  not  to  be  understood  that 
this  plan  will  apply  to  every  state 
without  some  modifications ^   The  prin- 
ciples  laid  down  should  govern  the 
general  plan,  the  activities  in  de- 
tail should  be  based  upon  the  needs 
suid  possibilities  in  a  given  state » 
This  does  not  represent  a  mere  ex- 
tension project,  but  rather  the  great^ 
est  view  of  the  whole  q.uestion.   Let 


us  not  forget  when  thinking  of  the 
larger  phases  of  the  question  that  thia 
is  the  core*   The  great  inajority  of 
our  national  prohlems  generally  will 
never  he  solved  until  they  are  solved 
by  individual  oomrrjanities*   It  is  this 
idea  of  ooimnunity  solidarity,  unity, 
and  purpose  that  must  be  the  mainspring 
of  our  efforts. 


